


Cold Treat

by VenomQuill



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Henry adopted into the Toppats AU, RHM's name is Red at the moment, but with my actual headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27427045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenomQuill/pseuds/VenomQuill
Summary: Henry Stickmin had been orphaned at a very young age. As a kleptomaniac mute who is very slow to trust, his chances of adoption were quite slim. Henry spent all of his young life watching children go home to loving parents, desperately hoping he'd one day get the same. Then, Reginald and Red came into Henry's life and adopted him into the Toppat Clan. Unfortunately, Henry might still need to wait a little longer.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	Cold Treat

**Author's Note:**

> Find it on dA: https://www.deviantart.com/venomquill/art/Cold-Treat-860454294
> 
> You really don't need to read "Different Path, Different Story" to understand any of this. In my totally unbias opinion you should check it out, though! :P

Henry stood close enough to Red to trip him had the older Toppat decided to back up. Henry knew this well, having been tripped over a few times. The ladies always got really annoyed if they tripped over Henry, even if Henry was just being quiet and not doing anything. But Red never got mad at him. Worse, he sometimes got guilty, and Henry didn’t like that because it _was_ Henry’s fault for standing too close and being too quiet. But Red understood that. Now, Henry watched as Reginald walked off with Chief Terrence, unable to put down the slight disappointment he felt. He really loved Red, but Reginald had been the one to adopt him and he was never around. Beside him, Henry could feel Red’s downward emotion, too. He didn’t like Reginald leaving either, did he? But they were best friends. If anyone could get Reginald to stay around longer it was him! Right?

Henry looked up at Red as he began to move. Well, he didn’t know _where_ Red was going, but wherever it was, it was better than being alone. Even if Red was just doing boring important people stuff like talking about stuff Henry didn’t understand or doing paperwork.

Evidentially, Red _did_ need to do paperwork. It was probably math because he picked up a calculator once he got back to his desk. Henry pulled up his chair from nearby. It was smaller and taller with a blue seat on it. He’d hardly gotten to his place when Red gave him a few papers and a pencil, too.

Henry perked up and picked up his pencil. He didn’t much _like_ math homework. But he also didn’t like sitting in one place doing nothing. Besides, if this was anything like whatever Red was doing, then if Henry got really good at it, he might be able to help. So, he got to concentrating on his own work.

A long silence spanned between them, interrupted only by the quiet scratching of pencil or pen on paper, the occasional squeak of an eraser or clicking of the calculator. Henry didn’t have a calculator. _“Doing it yourself now makes it easier to do it more quickly in the future,”_ Red had told him. Henry didn’t quite know _why_ ; after all, they had phones with calculators in them, and Henry was going to get a phone when he grew up enough to get one. But Red was really smart, so he probably knew something Henry didn’t.

Man, he kinda wanted to go outside? But there wasn’t anything to do outside–actually, there wasn’t an outside. Red was staying inside, anyway. Maybe Red was going to be able to take a break soon and they could play a game. Henry set down his pencil and watched Red work. The man mumbled something under his breath and tapped at some point where he’d scribbled quite a few things down. Something about a jewel? Ruby?

Red finished whatever he was writing down and looked over the papers again. After a brief check-through, he tidied the papers and clipped them together. He turned to Henry, who presented his own homework. It didn’t take the man long to look through it and give Henry an approving nod. Henry grinned and paperclipped his own homework together.

They stopped by Henry’s and Howie’s room on the way back from Red’s to wherever he needed to drop off that packet about the ruby. “’Enry,” Red stated as Henry put the papers in a thick, partially filled folder hanging in his closet.

Henry turned his attention back to Red and shut his closet door.

Red pause as he thought through his words. “Do you want to get ice cream?”

Henry beamed and nodded.

This elicited a small smile from the man. “After this, then.”

Henry could only assume “this” was the paperwork he’d been doing. Henry followed close to Red, his hands in his pockets. They talked with a few more adults in the record-keeping room and eventually found themselves in the front of the ship, the Bridge. Chief Terrence piloted the ship, chatting with Reginald, who was beside them.

“Oi, Reg,” Red announced as they got close.

Reginald turned around, his dark gaze turning to Red. “Oh! Hello, Red. Henry. Did you manage to learn more about the Romanian Ruby?”

“I checked through our plans. They’re good to go.” He offered the paperwork to Reginald, who looked over it. “I checked in with Wilhelm and Slice already.”

Reginald let out a quiet sigh. “Thank you, Red. These _do_ look to be in order.”

“I need to take ’Enry out. Are you available to come with us?”

Henry looked up at Red and then Reginald, struggling to put down the fluttering feeling of excitement in his chest.

Reginald blinked and then thought for a moment. “Ah. Well… I believe I may have some time. Chief? Would you mind if I helped Red out with Henry for a while?”

Chief Terrence looked at him, sending a brief glance at Henry as he did so. Henry hid behind Red. “Red looks like he’s been doing a good job babysitting the little guy. If you must, I can keep you covered. I was just about to work on that mission we were planning in Canada, but I can wait.”

Reginald frowned and gave him a reluctant sigh. “No, you’re right. That is a very important mission that still needs polishing. Red, why don’t we talk after dinner? We can plan for something then.”

“Alright, Reg,” Red responded and moved out.

Henry followed, disheartened and struggling to put it down. He decided to wait until they got to one of the pods before speaking. “Why does he always have to be busy?”

“He’s the chief’s deputy,” Red explained, letting the door to the pod close behind him as he entered a few numbers into the pad. “He’s almost as responsible for the ship as the chief is.”

“…why would he adopt me if he never has time for me, though?” Henry muttered.

Red didn’t answer this.

“He doesn’t love me.” Henry hadn’t meant to say this last bit aloud, but he did. He shrunk into himself. He winced and looked up upon feeling Red’s hand on his shoulder.

“’Enry,” Red stated. “Reg cares for you. ’E’s a little busy is all.”

Henry started to speak, but the words died as he felt his throat tighten. He instead looked away, fidgeting with his hands on his lap and his watery eyes narrowed at some random piece of the wall.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is sort of a "parallel universe" to "Different Path, Different Story." Due to a few things, some of my headcanons or thoughts on the canon story were tweaked a little for DPDS. I decided that, instead of rewriting the entire thing, I might just post short stories where the canon would divulge. A few of them are: Right Hand Man's given name was Red before becoming Reginald's right hand, at which point he changed his name. Terrence invited Reginald into the Toppats and groomed him.
> 
> Here, Henry is much shier than his DPDS counterpart. He gets along with Red fairly quickly because Red learns how to talk to him. Due to Red's more severe anxiety in his youth, he understood Henry and they were able to hit it off fairly well. Henry still really wants to develop a bond with Reginald. Unfortunately, Reginald's very busy with his own and Terrence's work. He didn't even _want_ a kid in the first place, but Reginald eventually warms up to him. Terrence is the person to get jealous of a new child in the house so, rather than give Reginald the time of day to just spend time with Henry, he guilt-trips him into doing more work. This drives a rift between Red and Reginald as well as given Red further reason to dislike and distrust Terrence.
> 
> Like in DPDS, Red doesn't know how to parent, and his parents didn't know how to parent, so he's taking things day by day.


End file.
